[Scan-DC] Article from 1987 about "mystery plane" circling Fairfax

Fri Sep 10 12:07:29 EDT 2010

Some agency's have been know to fly in helocopters and pick members up from 
their homes. This is very quick, not long term

Some agency's have access to mini AWACS

________________________________
From: Albert LaFrance <albert.lafrance at coldwar-c4i.net>
To: scan-dc at mailman.qth.net
Sent: Fri, September 10, 2010 11:27:28 AM
Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Article from 1987 about "mystery plane" circling Fairfax

As far as I know, it's never been revealed.  My guess is that the flights
are surveillance training for students at the FBI Academy in Quantico.
Training, as opposed to an actual surveillance mission, is the only type of
activity that I can imagine would be going on consistently for so long.

I (or someone else) may have posted a link a few years ago to an article
reporting similar flights in another part of the country, which were
apparently related to an FBI counterterrorism investigation. 

BTW, I him to my west right now.

Albert  

-----Original Message-----
From: scan-dc-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:scan-dc-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Clegg, Andrew W.
Sent: Friday, September 10, 2010 11:19 AM
To: michael rumberg; scan-dc at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Article from 1987 about "mystery plane" circling
Fairfax

So what does this plane do?

-----Original Message-----
From: scan-dc-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:scan-dc-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of michael rumberg
Sent: Friday, September 10, 2010 11:14 AM
To: scan-dc at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Article from 1987 about "mystery plane" circling
Fairfax

If it is FBI its based at the Manassas airport.  A few years ago I was
able to see their planes up close, but was told, "um, no, not that one,
come on back over here...." 

pretty durn small, doesnt seem too comfortable for a long surveillance.
bet they have a lot of "truck driver's friends" on board. 

> From: albert.lafrance at coldwar-c4i.net
> To: davidschoenberger at gmail.com
> Date: Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:10:05 -0400
> CC: scan-dc at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Article from 1987 about "mystery plane"
circling    Fairfax
> 
> Thanks, David! I like the quote "It probably will be there for a
while".  He
> sure got that right; I'd say 23 years counts as "a while"!
> 
> Albert
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: scan-dc-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:scan-dc-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of David
Schoenberger
> Sent: Friday, September 10, 2010 10:59 AM
> To: Albert LaFrance
> Cc: scan-dc at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Article from 1987 about "mystery plane"
circling
> Fairfax
> 
> Here's the full text of that article.
> 
> Dave
> 
> FAIRFAX CITY ABUZZ OVER NIGHTLY VISITS OF MYSTERY PLANE
> Washington Post - Friday, August 28, 1987
> Author: Patricia Davis ; John F. Harris , Washington Post Staff
Writers
> It's a bird, it's a *plane* , it's . . . it's a *plane* , all right,
but
> nobody's saying why it's circling over *Fairfax* City every night.
> 
> Residents in the Halemhurst area of *Fairfax* City say that for the
last
> three weeks or so a single-engine *plane* , possibly operated by a
> government agency on a surveillance mission, has been flying a tight
circle
> about 1,000 feet above their neighborhood.
> 
> "It's like a mosquito *buzzing* in your ear all night long," said
Harry
> Fitzwater. "I don't know what the hell is going on up there."
> 
> Fitzwater said when his annoyance reached a peak he called the control
tower
> at Dulles International Airport to inquire about the mysterious
*plane* . He
> said he was told the *plane* belonged to a government agency -- and
that no
> more information could be released.
> 
> Numerous agencies contacted yesterday added to the mystery with a
chorus of
> no comments.
> 
> "All I can say is . . . I can't say anything about it," said Federal
> Aviation Administration spokesman Fred Farrar.
> 
> The FBI: "My comment is 'no comment,' " said special agent James E.
Mull.
> 
> The Drug Enforcement Administration: "I doubt it's us. We're better
than
> that -- we wouldn't be seen," said special agent Robert O'Leary.
> 
> Art Harrison, air traffic manager at the Dulles Control Tower said,
"It
> probably will be there for a while." So he knows about the *plane* ?
> "Perhaps."
> 
> *Fairfax* City Police Department: "We are aware of it, but it is a
matter I
> could not discuss," said Capt. John J. Skinner.
> 
> Fitzwater, who lives at 4124 Orchard Dr., says he knows more about the
*
> plane* than he cares to. He notices it mostly between 8 p.m. and
midnight.
> 
> But not everyone is complaining. Fitzwater's neighbor, Lois Rusche,
said her
> family has been more intrigued than annoyed.
> 
> She said they first noticed the *plane* circling low one evening a few
weeks
> ago when they were swimming in their pool. "We have lights on the
pool, and
> I said, 'Gosh, I hope this guy doesn't think it's an airstrip.'
> 
> On Fri, Sep 10, 2010 at 10:47 AM, Albert LaFrance <
> albert.lafrance at coldwar-c4i.net> wrote:
> 
> > As a matter of fact, he's up there right now, over Falls Church!
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > From: Albert LaFrance [mailto:albert.lafrance at coldwar-c4i.net]
> > Sent: Friday, September 10, 2010 10:32 AM
> > To: 'scan-dc at mailman.qth.net'
> > Subject: Article from 1987 about "mystery plane" circling Fairfax
> >
> >
> >
> > I finally found a reference to the article I remembered from long
ago,
> > about
> > (presumably) the FBI aircraft we're seeing so often.  It's just an
excerpt
> > on a pay site, but it gives the source: The Washington Post, August
28,
> > 1987:    http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1340155.html
> >
> >
> >
> > Albert
> >
> > ______________________________________________________________
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